


A New Life

by Dr3amingInColour, MerlinSpecter



Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: Babies, Children, M/M, Surrogacy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-28
Updated: 2018-01-28
Packaged: 2019-03-10 09:56:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,239
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13499586
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dr3amingInColour/pseuds/Dr3amingInColour, https://archiveofourown.org/users/MerlinSpecter/pseuds/MerlinSpecter
Summary: ‘Max, that's our son. Our actual child, he’s… he’s perfect.’ Dan managed to choke out through his tears. Max smiled tenderly at him and pulled him in for a kiss.Or, the one where Max and Daniel decide they’re ready for a baby.





	A New Life

“Dan, you’re gonna have to help me here. Me and Anna are going away on Friday, we can’t take Felipinho with us.” Felipe told Dan from over the phone. Dan smiled, Felipinho was adorable and Dan liked spending time with him. The only problem was that he wasn’t sure Max would be comfortable with Felipinho staying over. He didn’t know whether Max liked or wanted kids, and this would maybe be a step too far, he really didn’t know. He hesitated for a moment and then took a decision.

“Yeah, of course we’ll take him for the week! No problem at all!” he replied, excitement filling his veins. He could deal with Max later, he was sure he would be able to convince his husband somehow.

Felipe sounded excited Dan had agreed and Dan could hear him tell Felipinho the news. Dan grinned widely when he heard the boy cheer, enjoying the company he always provided.

As soon as the call ended, Daniel walked back out to the apartment balcony, placing a short kiss on Max’s cheek. Max eyed him curiously, it only took one look at Dan’s face for him to know that there was something Dan was about to tell him.

“What is it?” he asked, clearly amused, as Dan smiled sheepishly.

“So… I just got off the phone with Felipe…” Dan started. “He wants us to look after Felipinho whilst he’s on holiday with Anna. And I may have just said yes?” 

Max raised an eyebrow and then frowned. “You already agreed without asking me first?”

“Yeah… I thought it would be good practice, you know, for when we might have children as well someday.” Dan said slowly, trying to gauge Max’s reaction. Max’s eyebrows flew up in surprise.

“I.. ehh...kids? But I’m only 22.” Dan sighed and nodded.

“Yeah, of course, sorry, I didn’t… I’ll call Felipe to tell him we now can’t do it.”

“I… I don't know if I'm ready for parenthood, but I'll give this a go. I may still be young, and a little afraid, but with you by my side I think I'll be okay.” Max said with a timid smile. Dan grinned back widely, leaning over to press a kiss to Max’s lips.

“So you'll help me with Felipinho?” Dan asked hopefully, wanting to confirm that what he heard was true. Max sighed but nodded, causing Dan to kiss him yet again.

\---

“Take care of my son, please.” Felipe pleaded one last time, hugging his son before getting in the car, driving off to the airport for his holiday with Anna. Dan chuckled as he waved at the car driving away and then looked down at Felipinho, who was nervously clutching on to Max’s hand.

“You okay there, Felipinho?” Dan asked gentle, kneeling down in front of him so he was at eye level with the young boy. Felipinho nodded, although hesitantly, still not letting go of Max’s hand. 

“We’ll just unpack your stuff in our apartment, then we can do whatever you want, alright?” Max asked, smiling down at Felipinho, who nodded in return. 

They went into the appartement together, walking towards to small guest bedroom. Felipinho grinned and jumped onto the bed when he saw the fluffy mattress. Max smiled, putting the suitcase in the corner of the room while Dan flopped down on the bed next to Felipinho, tickling him. 

“Stop it, Danny!” he called out, little giggles escaping his lips whilst Daniel continued to tickle him. Max laughed and rolled his eyes at Daniel’s slightly childish behaviour, but deep down, his heart was melting at the sight, and he could already see this with their own child.

“What do you want to do tomorrow, Felipinho? Me and Daniel can organise whatever you want, you know” Max told Felipinho with a smile, after the boy and finally managed to escape from Dan’s tickling.

“A… helicopter?” Felipinho asked, voice a little quiet. He’d always seen them in the sky but had never been in one, which was what he kept begging Felipe to make him do. Max looked surprised but then nodded.

“Yeah, we should be able to arrange that… How about we try to do that tomorrow and just have a lazy night in? It’s already getting late. What movie should we watch?” 

“I think there was the film about the man in the flying house, with the balloons, I'd like to see that one?”

“We’ll go put on the DVD of Up then.” Dan replied, before finding the disk, and slotting it into the dvd player.

~~

Felipinho fell asleep halfway through the movie, after which Dan had carried him to bed. Dan and Max themselves didn’t go to sleep much later, wanting to make sure they had enough energy the day after.

It was Dan who noticed Felipinho first, the boy standing awkwardly next to the bed, sniffling slightly.

“What’s wrong, Felipinho?” he asked, rubbing his eyes and sitting up  

“I… I can't sl… sleep very well.” He stuttered through sobs, a slight hiccup escaping his lips. Dan held out his arms.

“It’s okay, c’mere.” he lifted Felipinho onto the bed, putting him in between him and Max, who was still half asleep. “We’ll protect you from whatever's stopping your sleep. Trust me and Maxy on this one.”

Almost as if on cue, Max hummed in his sleep and turned over. He frowned and then slowly opened his eyes, looking confused.

“What’s going on” he mumbled, lifting his head from the pillow with a yawn. He focused on Felipinho and saw the boy was still quietly crying. He suddenly looked a lot more awake. 

“Nightmare…” Felipinho murmured, pulling his knees up to his chest. Dan sat up and gently pulled the boy in for a hug. 

“Me and Daniel will be right by you Felipinho, nothing will hurt you now.” Max gently replied, taking one of Felipinho's hands, soothing him until his breathing dropped to the deep lulling sound of sleep. 

Dan gently put Felipinho down on the bed between them, pulling the cover up over him. Max gently carded his fingers to the boy’s hair, who sighed contently in his sleep.

Dan smiled gently at Max.

“You’re good with kids.” he said. Max shrugged, returning the smile. Felipinho turned and snuggled up against Max, who wrapped an arm around him with a soft look.

“I’ve been thinking. Well… maybe kids wouldn't be such a bad idea for us. Today's just disproved the feeling that I was too young, I feel so ready, like I could have my own kid. And if you're ready, I'd love to start a family with you.” Max spoke softly. Dan grinned at him, scooting closer.

“Are you serious! I've wanted my own family for a while too, I just never told you, too afraid you wouldn't feel ready. But would you want to adopt them, or have them via a surrogate, cause we can start looking as soon as possible, to be honest?” Dan looked excited. Max smiled.

“Let’s not rush into things, but… I don’t know… I do like the idea of the baby having our genes, you know” Max said, absentmindedly looking at the child curled up against him.

“A little Verstappen, kid’ll be a knockout!” Dan ecstatically whispered, smile appearing back on his face. “But in all seriousness, I like the idea of a surrogate, kinda keeps our families in the frame, but still gives us our own child. The question is, who would be the surrogate?”

“I think Vic. She looks very similar to me, and that way we’d guarantee the genes. I think she’s more of a match than Michelle?” Max wondered out loud. Dan nodded.

“Yeah we should ask if she’d be willing.”

“I still can't believe we’re doing this. We've just agreed to become parents, oh my goodness.” Max whispered, more in disbelief than anything else. Dan grinned back at him, leaning over to kiss him, making sure not to wake Felipinho.

“Believe it Max, it's real. And you know what, you’ll make the best father ever.” 

\---

“I’m so nervous, what if my family don’t approve?” Max asked, his grip on Dan’s hand tightening as they walked to the house. Both of their families were waiting for them, ready to hear the big news they had to share. 

Just before they entered, Dan turned to Max.

“You sure you want to tell them now? I mean, we can wait…” Max shook his head.

“I’m sure of this. Never been more sure on anything. I want this, I want you, don’t forget that.” he said back, trying to hide the nerves. Dan smiled and pressed a kiss to the side of his head.

After another deep breath, they entered the house, their families waiting in the lounge area.

“Hey, well we said we had something to tell you all. I guess that time is now?” Dan said hesitantly, nudging Max to take the word. Max blushed slightly and nodded.

“We, as a married couple, now think it’s time to take the next step in a relationship, and that’s by having children. And we wanted to tell you that we are planning on having our first child by surrogate, we’d like to become parents.” Max told them, his smile widening towards the end. 

“I… I’m gonna be a grandma?” Dan’s mother managed to stutter out, tears forming in her eyes. Her son just nodded in response, before taking her into a large hug, tears finally spilling. 

Victoria was the first to rush over to Max, smile brighter than ever. “I’m gonna be an auntie, oh my goodness! This is amazing Max, I can't believe it!” She hugged Max while she had the largest grin on her face.

“We did have one last thing to ask.” Dan spoke up, interrupting the celebrations.

“We do need a surrogate for the baby. Vic, you’re my sister, I trust you with everything, would you be willing to carry our baby?” Max asked, a nervous expression on his face. Victoria was quiet for a moment, regarding the two of them with a neutral expression on her face. Dan placed an arm on the back of Max’s chair, trying to comfort his husband.

“I… erm… I'm honoured. You guys trust me with the baby, trust me with your child?” Victoria looked at them in awe. The pair just nodded back, trying to contain their smiles. 

“I'll do it. You guys are family, and I can't deny my brothers of what they want. I can't wait for a little Verstappen to be growing inside here.” she said, tears in her eyes while she grinned at them.

“You guys, are you okay with this?” Max asked his parents, who hadn't said much to him beforehand.

“If you two are happy, I'm happy. That's all want in life, seeing my kids happy. And now it's gonna be grandkids, wow. I'm so happy for you, I wish you the best.” Max smiled brightly at this, sighing in relief.

“Everyone else happy?” Dan quickly asked, to which everyone replied positively. He let out a sigh of relief over this, happy to know everyone supported the decision.

\---

“Shit, I'm late!” Vic yelled from the bathroom, realising that she should have been on her period by this time in the month. She knew what this most likely meant, but wanted Max and Daniel there if it was true.

“Do you need the pregnancy test?” Max yelled back from the living room, Dan already searching through some drawers to find it.

“I do, Max!” she shouted in response, before Daniel handed her the kit she needed.

She was hoping the test came back positive, because that would have meant the first attempt worked, and they didn't need to try again.

The time they had to wait for the test were the longest minutes Max and Dan had ever experienced. They could feel their hearts beating out of their chests, they were so nervous. Eventually, they heard the timer go off, before the door opened, and Victoria presented them with the stick.

“It's… it's positive. Oh my, wow.” Dan stuttered, seeing the 2 distinct lines. “That's our baby in there, Max, our actual freaking kid.” he clutched onto the test and turned to Max, tears in his eyes now. Max returned a similar look before grinning at Victoria.

“I’m struggling for words right now. Thank you so much Vic, I’m so grateful for this.” Both men got up and pulled Victoria into a tight hug. Victoria hugged back, smiling when they placed their hands on her stomach.

“Hello little one, we’re your parents. We can’t wait to meet you in 8 months or so.” Dan said softly. “And your auntie Vic, who better be your favourite aunt in the whole world.” they all chuckled. 

\---

“Vic, you’re starting to show already!” Vic looked down at her stomach, knowing they were right. Even through the looser top she was wearing, it was still clear her stomach was a little larger, although she tried to cover it as best as possible. She smiled, running her hand over the bump.

“Yeah, I can’t hide it for much longer.” Victoria said, disappointment evident. “But we get to tell the family soon, which is nice”

“Hey, they’re both here today, you could just tell them now?” Max suggested, knowing his parents were at the circuit, and Dan’s parents were also due to be there. Victoria nodded in agreement.

“Yeah, suppose the timing won’t get any better than this.”

“What if the media or photographers take hold of the news? You guys wanted to keep this between us.” That was the tricky part of this all, the media were of course bound to see Vic’s bump and wouldn’t leave her alone until they knew who the father was. If she told the media the baby had a mix of her and Daniel’s genes, they’d accuse Daniel of cheating on his husband with his sister. Vic frowned.

“What are we going to do about that?”

“Just say it’s your boyfriend’s baby, he knows you’re the surrogate, he’d be okay with this.” Max offered. Victoria nodded, getting out her phone to explain her boyfriend what was going to happen. He replied almost instantly and Vic smiled.

“He says it’s okay, he’ll play along.” she beamed, relief sweeping over her.

“Wanna announce it now?” Dan asked. Vic hesitated, but then nodded. They made their way into Max’s driver room, before deciding how the announcement should be made.

“I could use my instagram to show a photo of me cradling the baby bump, if that’s okay? I love the idea, and I am technically the baby’s mum, so I should get a say.” Vic said. Dan and Max both nodded.

“Of course.”

A photo was posted not much later, Victoria smiling down at the bump, cradling it with an adoring look on her face. The caption explained everything to the public, saying her and her boyfriend would be welcoming their first child in the New Year.

For Max and Dan, this was quite strange, it was their baby, but they just weren’t able to tell the world yet, to show everyone how happy and proud they were. Still, they knew they made the right decision, knowing Victoria would be left alone way more this way than if they knew she was carrying Max and Dan’s child. The public still didn’t 100% support them, and they didn’t want to risk anything more. 

Of course, Max was still asked to respond to the news of his sister’s pregnancy by the press, everyone wanting to know if there was any chance this was going to be the third generation of the Verstappen family driving in F1. 

After a rather hectic day, they invited all the family over for dinner. They had all seen the announcement made just before the race, and it seemed to be their lucky charm, bringing home 2nd and 3rd in the race. It was the first time Max had stood on the podium at his home race, and for it to be in these circumstances made it all the more special.  

The celebrations started as soon as they got back to the house, the champagne bottles being cracked open within minutes of walking in the doors. Dan and Max made sure to stay close to Vic, smiling knowingly when they handed her a glass of water instead of champagne. Their protectiveness didn’t go unnoticed by all, Daniel’s sister knowing exactly why they were all so close.

“Guys, do you have something you wanted to share?” she encouraged, smiling at the three of them together. Dan grinned.

“Vic has something she wants to show you all.” Max announced. Victoria got the picture from the first ultrasound, placing it on the table between the trophies and champagne. Everyone smiled and gasped, coming closer to take a look at the small photo.

“It’s the little Verstappen we told you about in early May. They’re due in February, I’m around 3 months pregnant.” Victoria explained with a proud smile, one hand on her stomach again..

“We’d like to keep the fact it’s our child out of the spotlight, we want this pregnancy to be ours as such, not for the world. It does mean we won’t be racing in the championship in 2019, but we’re willing to do that for our child.” Dan said, his arm around his husband’s waist. 

Luckily for them, their families were very understanding. Vic’s boyfriend was there too and they thanked him for helping them, knowing the situation might be a bit odd for him.

“You 2 deserve the world, may I just say. I completely support you through this, I know how much this means to you, to Vic, and I’ll be there to help as much as I can.” Vic’s boyfriend spoke up. They smiled at him, if he hadn’t agreed with this, everything could have become way more complicated. 

“Why don’t we celebrate everything with a bit more champagne?” Max suggested, and his mum instantly proceeded, pouring more champagne for everyone aside from Vic.

\---

Max waited anxiously for Dan to finally finish getting dressed. It was a big day for them today, finally finding out the gender of their child. Victoria was waiting outside, her usually stylish clothing swapped for tracksuit bottoms and large hoodies due to the baby.

“I’m so nervous, Vic. We finally know the gender, after all this waiting.” Max said, voice slightly trembling from the nerves. Dan finally came bounding down the stairs, his grin even wider than usual.

“I take it you’re excited as well then.” Vic said with a smile.

“Yeah, can’t wait to get to the surgery, see our future son or daughter.” he was practically bouncing and Max shook his head with a grin at his excitement.

“Come on, let’s go then.”

~~~~

“And now you can hear the heartbeat… and… there is the baby!” the doctor pointed out on the monitor, showing the small foetus moving around in Victoria's stomach. 

“And I'm pleased to say he’s nice and healthy.” the doctor continued, revealing the gender to the family.

“A boy, oh my goodness. We’re having our own son Dan!” Max exclaimed, grabbing onto Dan’s arm. Dan was silent, not knowing what to say, which was another first. Tears were welling up in Dan’s eyes, before finally spilling, bursting out into a massive grin, a couple of sobs accompanying this.

“Max, that's our son. Our actual child, he’s… he’s perfect.” Dan managed to choke out through his tears. Max smiled tenderly at him and pulled him in for a kiss. Then he turned to Vic, taking her hand.

“Thank you, yet again, you don’t know how much this means to us. I don’t know how we can ever repay you.” Vic smiled.

“It’s fine Max, just make sure the baby is going to be the most awesome kid ever, then we’re even.” 

A sharp cry from Vic interrupted them, her hands instantly flying to her stomach. The doctors could see on the screen what happened.

“The baby's kicking, put your hands to your stomach and you'll feel him kick?” She reached out to grab Dan’s hand, who was sitting closest to her, and placed it on her belly, urging Max to do the same. Eventually, the baby did kick, causing even more tears to fall, whilst Max’s expression softened, in awe with the situation.

“He’s alive, and kicking, this is incredible news. Thank you so much.” Max managed to say before he too started to cry from joy, taking Victoria and Daniel in for a quick hug. 

\---

Victoria sighed as she looked down at her stomach. It could be any day now. To be honest, she had had quite enough of being pregnant, and the boys had gotten antsy, not wanting to wait very much longer either. 

They’d lost plenty of sleep because of the baby, from Vic’s 3am cravings for s’mores, to false contractions, and they just wanted it over and done with.

They were all together at Dan and Max’s apartment, them wanting to make sure they would be there for Vic if the contractions began. The Red Bull Press Officer had just been around to their apartment, briefing them on what to do after the birth of their son. Though they were not red bull drivers for this season, the team were still very much supporting the 2, and they were guaranteed seats the next season, having a season of parental leave.

Dan and Max were in the kitchen when Vic suddenly called out for them, the scream indicating she was in extreme pain.

“He’s here isn’t he?” Dan worriedly asked Max, before they rushed into the room. Vic was clutching onto her stomach with a pained expression, giving them an anxious look. Another sharp pain shot through her stomach, making her yell out in pain again. This time, liquid also started to trail down her legs, quickly soaking her jeans.

“My water’s just broken.” she managed to stutter, before another contraction, and another yell of pain. While Max rushed over, Dan quickly got the bag they’d gotten ready especially for this, while at the same time trying to call hospital. 

Eventually they got Victoria in their car, changed into looser clothing. The hospital were awaiting their arrival, and it was a nervous car ride there. Victoria would wince and groan every time a contraction hit her, but Daniel and Max were there to support her through it. 

When they finally arrived at the hospital after what seemed like an eternity, they were directly ushered into one of the delivery rooms, doctors rushing to her aid.

Max and Dan watched on nervously, staying at her side, not really sure how they could help her in the best way. The doctors continued to assess the situation, waiting until it was safe for her to give birth. 

Victoria looked nervous as well, but also ready. Max took her hand and squeezed it gently.

“Are you okay?” he asked, tone of voice low to calm her.

“Nope, childbirth’s worse than I thought it would be, and I haven’t even had the damn kid yet.” she snapped before another contraction hit her. “Yep, hurts like a bitch”

“You’re doing amazingly, Vic, hang in there” Dan said soothingly. Vic glared at him, but calmed down slightly.

“This child better like me.” she said between gritted teeth, trying to manage the pain as best as possible. 

“Favourite aunt ever, we’ll make sure of that.” Dan answered with a smile.

The doctors came in again after another hour, but still they told Victoria she’d have to wait a bit longer. Vic had groaned in frustration at the news, but other than that she stayed relatively calm. 

The contractions were still very painful and Vic was obviously hurting, her breathing labored. She knew the baby was close to being born, but she didn’t know how close, making the contractions even more painful.

After the third hour, Vic had been ready to throw her pillow at the doctor who came to tell her to just hang in there a little longer. She was tired of waiting, and just wanted the baby to be born at that moment, tired of the pain. But she patiently waited, knowing it was for the best.

In the 4th hour, Max’s family were allowed in the delivery room, finally visiting their son and daughter, and soon, their grandson. This helped Vic to get a little distracted from the pain of the contractions, instead focusing on Jos and Sophie, and her boyfriend, who had arrived with them to support Vic through it. This gave Dan and Max a chance to leave her side briefly to take a break, to get some food and drink in the small cafeteria. 

Max told Dan he wasn’t hungry, but Dan forced him to eat something anyways, knowing it was probably just the nerves. It was the birth of his child,  _ their child _ , it was inevitable for them both to be nervous.

Finally, after the 6th hour, the doctors came in to tell them that it was safe for Victoria to give birth, a relief to everyone. Their parents were told to leave the room, Daniel and Max being the only 2 allowed in to witness the birth.

Dan and Max stationed themselves again at either side of Victoria, allowing her to grip their hands tightlyghtly. They watched on as Victoria’s feet were put up on props, preparing her to finally give birth to their son.

It took a lot of pushing, curse words and an almost broken hand for Dan, but finally the cries of the newborn filled the room, movement coming from the little body held in the doctor’s arms. 

Vic was exhausted but smiled nonetheless at the sound. She looked over to Daniel, seeing tears running down his cheeks, a look of disbelief on his face. Max also had the same expression, but there were no tears visible, only a stunned smile.

The nurse came back after the baby had been cleaned and swaddled, carefully handing him over to Max. He tensed a little at first, afraid he was holding the baby the wrong way, but grew more confident as the boy’s big blue eyes blinked up at him. Max held him for a moment, until from the corner of his eye, he saw Dan fidget, clearly wanting to hold his son but not wanting to intervene.

Max stood up and carefully walked over to Dan, handing him their son. He grabbed hold of the bundle of blankets gently, making sure he was holding his son firmly. 

Max watched with a proud expression, seeing his husband holding his son’s tiny hand in his. Dan eventually tore his eyes away from his son and looked up at Max, more tears in his eyes.

“We did it Max, he’s ours. I can’t believe we’re now fathers, that this is our son.” they both smiled as the baby yawned, his tiny hand still holding on to Dan’s. 

“Have you guys decided upon a name yet?” the doctors asked, holding the birth certificate for their son

Max and Dan looked at each other for a moment and then nodded.

“Matthew Vance Daniel Verstappen.” Max eventually said, finally being able to name their son. The doctor wrote this down on the certificate, before presenting it to them.

“Well, we congratulate you on the birth of Matthew. We’ll have to keep him and Victoria in hospital for 48 hours, before you can bring him home.” Max and Daniel nodded in understanding. Vic gave a weak smile from the hospital bed, glad she’d get some rest before going home.

A couple of hours after the birth of their son, the topic of announcing this came up in conversation. Everyone in the public was under the impression that baby Matthew belonged to Victoria and her boyfriend, not Max and Daniel, and this would soon have to be addressed.

They decided it would probably be for the best if they did that as soon as possible, social media probably the most efficient way of doing this, as the news would spread fairly quickly.

Getting his phone out, Max opened instagram, starting to film a new video. He turned the camera on himself, before pressing record.

“Hey guys. It’s about 6 in the evening, and I’m in the hospital with Daniel and Victoria right now. We can confirm her baby boy is healthy, as is Vic herself. What we haven’t told you yet, is that she was actually the surrogate for me and Daniel’s child, and that it isn’t her and her boyfriend who’ll be parents to the baby.”   


He then turned the camera to Daniel, who was cradling Matthew, rocking him backwards and forwards.

“we honestly couldn’t be happier at this moment in time, and I hope you guys will understand and support us. I still can’t believe I’m a father to be honest, it’s a little surreal.” he said with a smile. Dan looked up at the camera and grinned.

“This is the best thing to ever happen to us, better than any win or podium, maybe even better than my wedding day. Having this little guy in our lives now is amazing, and we can’t wait to share the journey of fatherhood with you guys.” with a final smile from both of them, they ended the video. 

It was posted not very much later, a photo soon following. It simply showed their 2 hands, clutching on to 2 tinier hands, alongside a body curled up in a bundle of blankets.

The caption was simple, reading ‘Matthew Vance Daniel Verstappen’, the date of birth, 23.02, together with ‘Welcome to the world <3 ‘

The reaction to the 2 posts was overwhelmingly positive, with many wishing them luck on this new chapter of their lives. Others wondered how they hid it for so long, and a few completely disagreed with this choice. Max and Daniel ignored those negative reactions for most part, they were happy with the choice they made, and with the way their lives had turned out, and that was all that mattered to them.

They enjoyed the first few months of parenting, despite the sleepless nights it brought. They loved seeing Matthew growing up gradually, his light brown curls emerging over these months. He was a very affectionate child, constantly craving hugs from both Max and Daniel, loving the attention given to him.

Towards the end of the year they took Matthew to one of the races, showing him their professional life and friends, who were meeting him for the first time. By this time he was about 9 months old, so had walked a couple of steps, but nothing more. With assistance though, he was able to walk down some of the pit lane before the race in Abu Dhabi, wearing a baby version of the Red Bull race suits, customised with the family name, and the flags his parents raced under. 

One year ago, Max and Daniel were both preparing for the last race of the season, which would be their last in 16 months. Looking back, they knew they made the right decision. They had missed racing of course, but having their son was better than any of that. They just couldn’t wait to be racing again, this time with Matthew at their side.


End file.
